Hermione and I, on the day of the beginning of Christmas Break, called up our parents and said we were going to Grimmauld Place to visit everyone, no buts or exceptions.

So when we got there, we ran the doorbell and heard loud painful screams.

"It's Mrs. Black- that's all." Hermione assured me.

It was annoying, getting here because we took the Knight Bus.

But my sour mood floated away as soon as Mrs. Weasley opened the door.

"Girls! Come in, come in." she said, ushering us in.

We walked in and the Weasley's were sitting in the parlor- just standing around.

Hermione touched my arm and smiled, pointing upstairs. I nodded and she went to check on Harry.

Ginny ran over to me. "Harry thinks he's been possessed by You-Know-Who, but he has no idea. I have been possessed by him!" her lip trembled.

"Oh, sweetie, Ginny, I'm so sorry." I pulled her close. I remembered her possession well- Cedric had been ignoring me all year, and I was in a perfect honeymoon phase with Draco…and my best friend Ginny was acting strange.

"No- I am. There are much more important matters for you and me right now- let's not live in the past." she held her chin up and walked up to the second floor.

Next in my greeting line was Ron.

"Ron!" I hugged him, and we clapped each other on the back, grinning.

"Good to see you." I meant it; out of all my friends- I probably interacted least with Ron and Cho- among random peers in my own year I barely hung out with- like Colin.

"Yeah, where's Pitch?"

"In my carrier." I jerked my thumb behind me, and my head a twinge. I remembered when she was new- I called her Jessie. But as time went on, she didn't look like a Jessie anymore- so I renamed her. Pitch- redubbed, nicknamed, renamed- all the same. Whatever term works.

Then I hugged everyone else and gave greetings. The last person I came to was Fred. He was looking down at the carpet and his shoes.

I touched his arm lightly, and smiled, but only with my mouth- no teeth shone through.

He looked up and then the look in his eyes I sighed a sad sigh silently and with my eyes and pulled him to me, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his chest. He broke and wrapped his arms around me, afraid to let go.

"Dad's…he's okay…but his wounds reopen every time the bandages come off." he sobbed.

"Shh." Fred was so strong, much more then George, Ron, Ginny, but also Percy in some levels. What was going on? I already knew the whole story- what about was making Fred cry?

I never did find out- some can make an educated guess it had to do something with me though- with the addition of the stress of everything that was going on around him. But I know at that time- we were starting to crush on each other. But no one knew exactly what the outcome of that would be.

I met with Sirius and Tonks etc.

"So you're Denise?" Sirius murmured.

"How'd you know?" I smiled, my voice dripping with happy sarcasm.

"Harry and such…also from the Malfoys- not to me- but to other family members- word gets around quickly in the Black family." he rolled his eyes and I giggled.

Sirius was kind and light-hearted…the traces of Azkaban starting to wear off. Up until Christmas Day we all decorated and cleaned the house. By the end of our hard work- we admired it. The chandeliers had garlands of holly and gold and silver streamers; magical snow glittered in piles over the threadbare carpets; a great Christmas tree was decorated with live fairies and it blocked the Black family portraits from view; and even the stuffed elf heads had Santa hats on them.

I woke up the next morning, and Cedric's old owl come through the window and dropped off what seemed to be the 10th present that morning. He looked awfully tired, so I let him rest a bit and he nibbled me affectionately before he left- as if to say even though Cedric was gone- he still was there for me.

I got gifts from my parents and other relatives- but I didn't care much for them, I loved the gifts I got downstairs later though; and then I realized this was my first Christmas officially without Cedric- as others had not counted- because at least he had still been alive.

I sighed. I traveled the house that morning, and in one of the bedrooms was a huge tapestry- and when I looked closer it was the Black Family Tree. Sirius came in and found me.

"Breakfast- oh you found this stupid rug too?"

"Where are you?" I asked, scanning it.

"That burned off piece." he pointed to a hole.

I looked questioningly at him. "Let's just say my mother burned off anyone who didn't live up to her expectations." There were a few other scorch marks, but I didn't ask about them.

Then I saw Draco's mom was a relative of Sirius, I looked down and saw Draco.

I froze.

"What's wrong?"

"It's…it's Draco." I bit my lip.

"He really hurt you didn't he?" he observed.

I wiped a tear away from the corner of my eye, before it could stream down my face. "More then you could ever know." I stood, looking at the same picture for what seemed like forever. Sirius then clapped his hands and brought me downstairs with him to get away from the awkwardness.

We visited St. Mungo's for Christmas morning to see Mr. Weasley and when Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck off, I shook my head and banged my head against the wall, one leg bent up, the foot on the wall, and my arms were crossed- giving me a tough, relaxed look.

Fred walked out of his dad's "room." "Want to go somewhere?" he whispered huskily in my ear.

I could only nod, at a loss for words and he took my hand pulled me along. I felt a warm sensation go through me at his touch and I smiled as he led me down the hall- running, looking behind us, giggling and going through the halls.

We ran into a broom closet and he shut the door behind us, it was totally dark.

Ours hearts were racing and pounding in our ears- and then like a magnet, we drifted closer until our lips touched. Immediately I pulled away.

"We…shouldn't. I'm sorry." I breathed, holding his chest away with my hands, my arms all the way outstretched.

"C'mon 'Nise. It'll be fun." He kissed me again, and I leaned into it- our lips moving in sync. But I opened my eyes to stare into the darkness. I felt like I was betraying Draco by kissing Fred, and all I could about was kissing Draco when I was kissing Fred.